Steering-gear for ships.



J. H. FEW. `STEERING GEAR FOR SHIPS. APPucATloN man Amma. 19u;`

Patented Jan. Y, 1919.

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1. H. FEW.

STEERING GEAR FOR SHIPS. APPLICATION HLEUAPR. 19. 191s.

Patented 1311.119191.

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-J. H..PEW. STEERING GEAR F01; SHIPS.'

APPLl'ATloN man APR, |9. '1918.

UNTTED sTATns PATENT onirica.

JOHN HOWARD ruw, or Annivionn, PENNSYLVANIA, AssreNon To sUN snIrBUILnrNG COMPANY, or CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA, A conronATrON on PENNSYLVANIA STEERING-GEAR- FOR SHIPS.

specification of Letters rarest.

Patenteaaan. a, 1919.

Application led April 19, 1918. Serial No. 229,506.

To all whom it may concern: y

Be it known that I, JOHN HOWARD Pew, a citizen of the United States, residin1 at Ardmore, county of Montgomery and Shtate of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in Steering-Gears for Ships, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification. n My invention relates to the class of steering gears for use in vessels of substantial size. and also operable `by hand wheels, the power being applied to a lever or cross-beam at or near the top of the rudder post.

One of the disadvantages of such mechanism as at present usually constructed is its rigidity, whereb the force of the water against the rud er is transmitted directly from the steering post, through the mechanism, to the engine or hand wheels.` This is productive of a series of shocks uponthe mechanism. It is oneof the objects of my invention to eliminate this feature.

ln many respects the construction of a steering gear embodying my invention may be similar to the usual steering mechanism, but the following is one important diiference: that, whereas, in the usual construction, the power is applied to a lever or crossbeam directly secured to thehead of the rudder post, l apply the power to a cross-beam which is pivotally mounted on the rudder post and transmit the power, through shockabsorbing springs, to a member that is directly secured to the rudder post. These springs form a resilient link in the mechanism toabsorb shocks due to the action of the waves upon the rudder. My invention,

These steering gears are power-driven Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, partly in section. y y

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3--3 of Fig. et.

Fig. 4e is an inverted plan view, partly broken away, of the shock-absorbing mechanism and the connections therefrom to the rudderpost, on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. i

a represents thehead yof the rudder post protruding from bearing b upon the deck c of the ship. Pivoted upon rudder post a is a cross-beam Z which `carries the tiller pins e, e. A screw 7 is centrally located above thepost a and extends longitudinall of the ship and turns in bearings g, g. i crew f is `oppositely threaded, between bearings, with right and left hand threads to its middle point. Nuts k, it `engage respectively the two oppositely threaded portions of the screw. The nutsare attached respectively to two massive `sleeves i, z' arranged on opposite sides of, and parallel to, the screw. The sleeves are slidable longitudinally on rods 5,55 which are supported at their ends on ped- `estais k, c, which carry the bearings g, g.

Links m, m embrace the tiller pins e, e and are pivotally connected at their opposite ends to sleeves z', c'. Integral with the cross 't beam d is a longitudinally extending arm n. `Secured to post a by means of keys o is an arm p which extends longitudinally below the pivotally mounted arm a. Being fixed to the post a it turns with the rudder within `the limits of movement imposed by the usual rudder stops r secured to the deck. Secured to the forward end of the arm fn, is a frame s within which is a yoke t carried on` the. end of the arm p. The frame s has' are transmitted through the arm p and are taken up by both pairs of springs y. That is: frame s, through one bearing plate e', compresses the correspondingpair of s )rings y against the corresponding lhead w which is held fixed Iby abutting against the corresponding nut ae), while the other head fw compresses the other pair of springs y againstv the other: bearing plate e' (which is held fixed `by abutting` against the yoke z5).

It is not essential, but merelyl preferable, to use a pair lof springs g/ at each side of the ends of arms n and p. The smaller springl of each pair may be omitted. here therefore, in the claims I specify springs ,I do not mean to be confined to the use of doublesprings, but refer to springs on. opposite sidesof'the ends'of thev arms.

One end of screw carries a gear 10, which is actuated by the step-down gearing 11, v12, 13, either from an engine 14C/connected with the crank pins 15 on the shaft of gear' 13, or from suitablehandwheels, not shown, connected with the shaft 16l of gear 12.'

In operating the steering-gear from the engine or hand-wheel,the screw f, through nuts h, sleeves z', links m and tiller pins e, swings the frame e-.m, thereby, through springs y, turning the arm p and the rudder post a.

I yam aware, as hereinbefore stated, that it isvnot new, broadly, to transmit the motion of the actuating mechanism to the rudder.V by meansof shock absorbing springs interposed between two, members one xed to, and the other pivoted upon the rudder head, ,one of both of which members project laterallyy a considerable distance from the driving screw. This construction occupies space ina lateraldirection which is not usually` available. Further, ina prior construction in whichjthe members comprise arms extending on'eover the other, as 1n the y present construction, but laterally, it has been found necessary toemploy four springs or sets of springs, only two of which are operable at a time. A structure embodying the present invention is more compact and occupies no substantial space in a lateral di- ,reetion and yet secures the `advantage of using only two springs or sets of springs which are always both operable in unison.

Provision is made for rigidly connecting arms n and p by inserting a pin 17 (see Fig. 3) into alining holes 18 and 19 in the two arms n and p. yIn the normal operation, when the two arms are not so connected, the pin 17 is retained in the hole 19in arm p by frictional engagement therewith. Thus if breakage should occur in the compression springs or other parts of the shock-absorbing connections between the armsn andthe steering ofthe vessel may be-continued uninterruptedly by pushing the orifice 18 of arm n.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. In a steering gear for ships, the combination with the rudder post, a longitudinally extending driving screw, and a member turnable on said post having an arm extending when in median position longitudinally of the screw but swingable on either side of its median position, of a second arm fixed on the rudder post and extending in the same direction as the iirst arm, shock-absorbing mechanism connecting said arms and adapted to absorb a shock tending to turn' the rudder in either direction; said shock-absorbing mechanism comprising transversely extending coacting springs, one on one side and the other on theother side, of both arms and means carried bythe arms and supporting the springs.

2. Ina steering gear for ships, the combination with the rudder post, a longitudinally extending driving screw, and a member turnable on said post having an arm extending when in median position longitudinally of the screw but swingable on either side of its median position, of a second arm ixed on the rudder post and extending in the same direction as the first arm, actuating mechanism connected with the turnable member, heads on opposite sides of both said arms, means supporting said heads and permitting either headl toslide inwardly toward either arm but v,limiting its outward movement away from either arm, and springs on opposite sides of both arms, said springs being confined between both arms andthe respective heads, whereby a shock received by the rudder will be transmitted through the member fixed thereto to the springs both of which will be compressed to absorb the shock.

3. In a steering pin 17 up into gear for ships, the combination with the rudder post, a longitudinally extending driving screw, and a member turnable onsaid post having an arm eX- tending when in median position longitudinally of the screw but swingable on either side of its median position, of a second arm fixed on the rudder post and extending in the same direction as the first arm, actuating mechanism connected with the turnable member, laterally movable bearing plates arranged on opposite sides of both arms, rods extending laterally outward from both arms, heads on opposite sides of both arms and slidable on said rodsmeans on the rods adapted to engage said heads and move them inward and also confining the heads from outward movement, and springs one between e'zch head land the correspondingy bearing p ate.

y 4. In a steering gear for ships, the combination with the rudder post, of two arms one turnable relative to the post and the other fixed relative thereto, actuating mechanism connected with the turnable arm, a frame secured to the end ortion of the first arm, a yoke carried by t e end portion of the second arm and slidable laterally relatively to said frame, headed rods projecting laterally from said frame on both sides thereof, a headed rod projecting laterally from said yoke on each side thereof, laterally slidable bearing plates adapted to he engaged by both the trame and the yoke, heads slidable on said rods and springs con- [ined between the hearing plates and the heads. y y

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, on thislSth day of April, 1918.

JOHN HOWARD FEW.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I'atents,

Washington, D. 6. 

